Flying machine



March 16 1926. 1,576,977

. H. JUNKERS FLYING MACHINE Filed June 28, 1920 s Sheets-Sheet 1 March 16 1926. 7 1,576,977

H. JUNKERS FLYING MACHINE Filed'June 287, 1920 s Sheets-Sheet 2 March 16 1926.

H. JUNKERS FLYING MACHINE Filed June 28, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 I00 -ll 97 I a o o e o i i:l 3 5 w \"1" {a .99 m- 9 DI r:

Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

HUGO JUNKERS, OF DESSAU, GERMANY.

FLYING MACHINE. I

Application filed June 28, 1920. Serial No. 392,587.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. L., 1313.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGO JUNKERS, a citizen of Germany, residing at Dessau, Germany, have invented certain new and use- 6 ful Improvements in Flying Machines (for which I have filed application in Germany, March 12, 1918, and March 22, 1918; Netherlands, July 14, 1919; Sweden, December 6, 1919; Norway, December 31-, 1919; Denmark, December 19, 1919), of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to flying machines of the monoplane type with supporting-surfaces devoid of all external stay wires or the like. Although such self-supporting surfaces offer considerable aerodynamic advantages over supporting-surfaces braced by means of stay-wires or the like, they have been employed until now in} monoplanes only to a small degree as their use involves great difliculties in the construction of the aeroplane and in the distribution of the loads. It is usual in monoplanes to attach the two halves of the supporting-surface laterally to the central body or shell, whose walls, consideringtheir weight can however hardly be made strong enough to take up the strong fiectional forces acting upon the supporting-surfaces.

It is an object of the present invention to fully utilize in monoplanes the aerodynamic advantages of self-supporting wings, viz, the absence of the resistance offered to the air by external stay-Wires or the like. To

not constructively combined with the body to form a coherent structure, the more so as they are required .to be easily detachable from said body for constructional-and-transthis end the supporting-surface structure directly connected with each other and are porting reasons. In accordance with this peculiarity of construction the body generally represents to a certain extent the backbone of the whole flying-machine, which back-bone. ultimately supports all other parts and in which all internal and external forces, which become effective. in a flying machine, are collected and balanced. At the same time the body forms a kind of foundation for the loads, such as persons, motors, tanks or the like to be carried by the flying machine. The body accordingly does not only form an envelopefor these parts, but also takes up directly their weight. This form of construction, which has been until now in general use in mono planes, is fundamentally imperfect in so far as in the same the considerations playing a role in terrestrial vehicles are still too much emphasized, while the forces arising in flylng are only given secondary consideration. Before all this construction involves the disadvantage, that during flight the transmission of power from the supporting-surfaces creating the buoyancy to the loads to be carried has to take place by means of a number of intermediate members. The same is true of the balance of the air resistance of the supporting-surfaces acting in the direction of travel by the tractive power of the pro eller.

T e monoplaneaccording to the present invention offers the further advantage, that its construction can be substantially better accommodated to the sequence of forces corresponding to thereal purpose of the flying 35 machine thereby thatthe-loads to be carried by the aeroplane are taken up as far as possible directly by the supporting-surfaces, the forces acting upon the aeroplane being also balanced as far as possible in the supporting 90 surface itself. To this end the continuous supporting framework "of the supportingsurface is made to take the place of the body as a kind of foundation for taking up directly the loads carried by the aeroplane. In '95 thus using the supporting-surface as a foundation for the loads and as a kind of bacic bone for the-whble flying machine advantage cumstance that their bending movement assumes its maximum value in that portion.

In the case where the loads cannot be placed immediately upon the supporting surface framework, auxiliary frames for supporting such loads may be attached to the'continuous beams or girders of the supporting surface.

In consequence thereof that part of the aeroplane body, which encloses these loads only serves as a resistance reducing envelope, not as a support for the loads and still less as a support for the Wings. The rearwardly extending portion of the body, forming the connecting member between the main supporting-surface. and the rear surface can now be attached, the same as the other loads, directly to the continuous supporting-surface beams or to an auxiliary frame connected therewith and can thus transmit the weight and steering forces acting upon said portion of the body to the main supportingsurface on the shortest Way.

If in smaller monoplanes the supportingsurface provided with continuous cross: beams is attached in the usual position to the side walls of thebody, there arises the disadvantage that the cross-beams extend through that part of the body, Whiclf is designed to take up passengers, motors, and loads, thus forming a great hindrance to theaccommodation of such persons or loads. According to the present invention this disadvantage, is obviated by placing the supporting-surface so low with respect to the body that its supporting framework such as the cross-beams or girders extends either below the body or through its lower part, so that in that part of the body, which is above the supporting-surface, there is left a sufliciently high space for the accommodation of persons, motors, loads, steering gear and the like, such space being entirely unobstructed by constructive ,parts of the supporting-surface. Passengers, motors and loads may thus be accommodated. and distributed within the body as desired. It is true that in consequence of this arrangement the center of gravity of the flying machine is as a rule raised above the supporting-surface. However, experience has proved that this is of no avail whatever, the necessary stability of the aeroplane in the air being obtained by suitably dimensioning and ad justing the balancing surfaces.

In the draw ngs ttired to. thi p ification and formin part thereof three dilferent types of monop anes embodying my inven- Fig. 5 a cross-section taken on line V V and Fig. 6 a like section taken online VIVI of Fig. 3.

Figs. 7 and 8 are illustrations of a small type of monoplane with a wooden frame-- work surface,

Fig. 7 being a side elevation, partly in longitudinal section and Fig. 8 a cross-secton on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the supporting-surface, the sectional outlines of which are indicated in dotted lines at'l (Fig. 1), encloses the supporting framework in the form of a lattice girder formed by upper and lower longitudinal beams'2, 2* and diagonal rods 3 arranged between said beams. Further framework rods 4: and 5 form a connection between the top and bottomflanges, respectively, of the different girders. The beams 2, 2? as well as the rods 3, 4, 5 arranged between them extend across the entire width of the mas chine. f

The weight of the loads to becarried by the'aeroplane are transmitted as far as possible directly u on this framework of the supporting-sur ace by means of auxiliary frames attached to the said framework and carrying the loads. The Weight of thefmotor 30 is transmitted to the supporting-surface by an auxiliary frame substantially consisting of themotor supports proper 7 and the struts 8, 9, 10, 11; the weightof the pilot sittingin thechair 33,

is transmitted by. aid of the auxiliary frame 1621 carrying also the steering gear 25, 26. The pedal 27 of the side steering gear is mounted directly within the supportingsurface frame. In order to brace the whole structure more rigidly the frames carrying the motor and the pilot are connected with each other by rods 12-45. Someof the elements of the frame such as 18 and 22 are preferably constructed to form frames adapted to carry the envelope of the body The fuel tank 35 is mounted within the supporting-surf ace framework, its weight being thus'taken up directly by the said surface. The body itself merely serves as an envelope for all these loads and mainly serves the purpose of diminishing the air reslstancc- In al ke manner the tractive Mir effort of the propeller is transmitted directly upon the supporting-surface by the auxiliary frame carrying the motor. The rear \acting upon the same are also transmitted to the supporting wing on the shortest possible way.

In the aeroplane shown in Figs. 3 to 6, the motors 30 arranged as far as possible in front are mounted with their supports on.

an auxiliary frame by the framework rods 58-62 and attached to the framework 52, 53 of the supporting-surface 51, said supporting structure extending across the entire width of the flying machine. Seats 83, 84 for the crew are provided in the front portion, said seats being mounted in a special auxiliary frame 6378 directly combined with the main framework of the supporting-surface. The body envelope 41 mounted upon the frames 6271, again serves merely for reducing the air resistance and not for taking up and transmitting the weight of the crew. The motors are enclosed in resistance reducing envelopes 86.

The monoplane illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 has its supporting-surface 91 arranged in such low position relatively to the body 95, that above the framework of this surface a high space remains available within the body for the comfortable accommodation of the pilot as well as of the driving and steering gear, other accessories, loads, and so on. This arrangement warrants on the one hand a simple construction of the girder structure of the supporting-surface most perfectly adapted for the distribution of forces. On the other hand the arrangement and distribution of the loads to be accommodated in the body is not in any manner interfered with by the constructive members transmitting the bending stresses. As shown in Fig. 7 the motor 96, the pilots seat 97, the steering gear 98 and 99. the fuel tank 100 and the like are arranged in the interior of the body above the supporting wings. Fig; 8 further shows that with the usual mode of arranging the supporting surfaces at about half the height of the body a transmission of the bending stresses from one side of the surface to the other by causing the transmission members to extend across the entire width of the aeroplane would meet with difficulties hardly to be overcome, unless the loads were distributed on an entirely different plan.

The body in order to offer the least possible resistance to the air extends downwardly so far that its bottom is flush with the bottom of the supporting-surface.

I claim:

1. In a flying machine of the monoplane type in combination, a substantially unbroken self-supporting bearing. plane of streamline section extending substantially in a straight horizontal line across the entire width of the craft and a motor and pilots seat mounted on and above said bearing plane.

2. In a flying machine of the monoplane 'type in combination, a substantially unbroken self-supporting bearing plane of streamline section extending substantially in "a straight horizontal line across the entire width of the craft, a load carrying structure supported by said bearing plane and a motor on said structure.

3. In a flying machine of the monoplane type in combination, a substantially unbroken self-supporting bearing plane of streamline section extending substantially in a straight horizontal line across the entire width of the craft, a load carrying structure mounted forward of and supported by said bearing plane and a motor on said structure.

4. In a flying machine of the monoplane type in combination, a substantially unbroken self-supporting bearing plane of streamline section extending across the entire width of the craft, a load carrying structure supported by said bearing plane, a motor on said structure and a substantially nonload carrying tail piece fixed to said bearing plane.

5. In a flying machine of the monoplane type in combination, a substantially unbroken self-supporting bearing plane of streamline section extending across the entire width of the craft, a load carrying structure supported by said bearing plane, a motor on said structure and a substantially nonload carrying tail piece fixed to said load carrying support.

6. In a flying machine of the monoplane type in combination, a streamlined bearing plane comprising a plurality of straight girders forming the transverse spars and extending substantially in a straight horizontal line across the entire width of said plane and a motor and pilots seat mounted on and above said bearing plane.

7. In a flying machine of the monoplane type in combination, a streamlined. bearing plane comprising a. plurality of straight girders forming the transverse spars and extending substantially in a straight horizontal line across the entire width of said plane and a motor and pilots seat mounted on and forward of said bearing plane.

8. In a flying machine of the monoplane type in combination, a streamlined bearing plane comprising a plurality of straight girders forming the transverse spars and extending substantially in a straight horizontal line across the entire Width of-said plane, a load-carrying structure mounted on and above said bearing plane and a motor on and supported by said structure.

9. In a flying machine of the monoplane type in combination, a streamlined bearing plane comprising a plurality of straight girders forming the transverse spars and extending substantially in a straight horizontal line across the entire width of said plane, a load-carrying structure mounted on and above said bearing plane and a motor and pilots seat on and supported by said structure.

10. In a flying machine of the monoplane type in combination, a streamlined bearing plane comprising a plurality of straight girders forming the transverse spars and extending across the entire Width of said i plane, a plurality of load-carrying structures mounted on and above said bearing plane and a motor and a pilots seat mounted on and supported by separate load-carrying structures.

11. In a flying machine of the monoplane type in combination; a streamlined bearing plane comprising a plurality of straight girders forming the transverse spars and extending across the entire Width of said plane, a load-carrying girder-shaped structure mounted on and above said bearing plane and a motor on and supported by said structure.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HUGO JUNKERS 

